Inactive

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health intends to negotiate on an other than full and open competition basis with Becton, Dickinson & Co. (BD), 2350 Q... The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health intends to negotiate on an other than full and open competition basis with Becton, Dickinson & Co. (BD), 2350 Qume Drive, San Jose, CA 95131 to procure the following: FACSymphony S6 Special Order System, Part #662937, qty-1 BD FACS Clean Solution 5L, Part #340345, qty-1 Calibrite 3 Color Beads Kit 25 Tests IVD, Part #340486, qty-1 Calibrite APC Beads Kit 25 Tests IVD, Part #340487, qty-1 Accudrop Fluorescent Beads 25 Tests, Part #345249, qty-1 Rainbow Flrs Prtcl Bright 3.0-3.4um 5mL, Part #556291, qty-1 BD FACSDiva CS&T Research Beads Kit 50T, Part #655050, qty-1 BD FACSflow Sheath Fluid, Part #99-30211-00, qty-1 This acquisition will be processed FAR Part 12 – Acquisition for Commercial Items and FAR Part 13 - Simplified Acquisition Procedures will be used for this acquisition. This acquisition will be made pursuant to the authority in FAR Part 13.501(a)(1). Only one award will be made as a result of this solicitation. This will be awarded as a firm-fixed price type of contract. Delivery to Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878 approximately sixteen 90 days after receipt and acceptance of award. The Flow Cytometry Core Facility (FCC) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bethesda campus and the Vaccine Immunology Program’s (VIP) satellite laboratory in Gaithersburg, Maryland has a requirement for a BD FACSymphony S6 cell sorter to maintain continuity of science, data integrity, experimental compatibility between existing equipment and critical protocols, and to prevent variability in data. The FCC requires a BD FACSymphony S6 cell sorter to increase their cell sorting capabilities of the satellite facility and to comply with developed panels currently run on production analyzers at this same facility. The FCC currently manages outdated analyzer production units (BD Aria-II flow cytometers) that do not have the capability to run 30 parameter samples and do not have the function to transfer these samples of high volume to the cell sorter. The current flow cytometers sort samples at a much slower speed and cannot sort multiple cell samples. This is critical to the research as current instruments are operating at a slower speed and cannot meet the demands of the research center. As researchers use these outdated instruments, only some cell samples are harvested. As a result, a significant number of valuable cell samples are lost, which is costly to the research performed. The BD FACSymphony cell sorter can save more samples, have high parameter capability, and have cluster sort logic is required for continuity of science and to support the advancement of the VRC’s research. In order to support existing research projects, to provide seamless transition to the new equipment, and to maintain experimental compatibility between existing equipment and the new equipment is to continue with the BD platform that has been used by FCC for 19 years. Current instrumentation comprises of three (3) BD FACSymphony S6 cell sorters and eight (8) Symphony A5 cell analyzers. Thus, hundreds of protocols for BD instruments have been developed in the facility and published by facility users. Procurement of a new BD instrument will allow facility staff and users to use these existing protocols whereas switching to a different manufacturer would require development of new protocols. In addition, ongoing experiments have been optimized for the particular characteristics (sensitivity, resolution, multiplexing, etc.) of the BD platforms. Using a different platform would require extensive re-optimization of immune assays, and revalidation by the satellite laboratory, and thereby introduce significant downtime and harm the mission of the Vaccine Research Center to develop and test new vaccine candidates. An added bonus of the additional cell sorter is being able to adhere to the “social distancing” rule in place in laboratories to ensure staff health and safety during the time of the coronavirus pandemic. The statutory authority for this sole source requirement is 41 U.S.C. 253 (c) (1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1 only one source available, no substitutions possible. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTATIONS. All responsible sources who can provide the same equipment may submit a response that could be considered by email (subject line to reference NIAID-NOI-20-2024148) to Tonia Alexander at talexander@niaid.nih.gov, by 11:00 am eastern daylight time Wednesday, September 16, 2020. All information furnished must be in writing and must contain sufficient detail to allow NIAID to determine if it can meet the above specifications described herein. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon response to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Any response received after the closing date and time of this notice will be late and will not be considered.